Jueves, 19 de marzo de 2020 (Continuación)

EU President of Council Charles Michel chairs the coronavirus meeting with the leaders of EU member countries via teleconference on March 17, 2020. Photo by EU Council / Pool/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

EuropaUnión Europea, ,

The measures taken to limit the spread of the coronavirus - in particular social distancing -  come with significant economic costs, as the drop both in demand for goods and services and in supply due to workers being at home sick will create a short-term economic shock not seen in modern times.

Sectors that are usually less affected by regular economic swings such as transport and tourism are being confronted with an almost total collapse in demand. In the airline sector, companies are warning they might only be able to hold out for a few months more.

Building on the calls to provide income support to all citizens and shore up businesses, European leaders should now be giving explicit permission to the European Central Bank (ECB) to provide whatever financial support is needed.…  Seguir leyendo »

Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images. An empty Tel Aviv beach after Israel barred residents from leaving home for “non-essential” reasons, to combat the spread of Covid-19, March 18, 2020

ReflexionesSocial,

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL—On Monday, the second day of a countrywide closure in Israel, I took my children to the Tel Aviv beach, thinking: “There. Not so bad.” As I opened my laptop to write this, I was even a little smug, noticing the empty roads, the Yom Kippur–like stillness. Maybe it will teach us to slow down.

Then, moments ago, the Israeli Health Ministry released urgent new orders. Public parks are from now on forbidden. So are beaches and nature reserves—forget about museums or cafés, which have been closed for several days. Walks are to be limited to ten minutes at a time: one parent and one child only.…  Seguir leyendo »

El presidente de la Argentina, Alberto Fernández. Credit Agustin Marcarian/Reuters

MundoAmérica,

El 15 de marzo de 1995, el hijo del entonces presidente, Carlos Menem, murió al costado de una ruta argentina cuando se estrelló el helicóptero que piloteaba. La justicia del país pronto concluyó que se trató de un accidente causado por la conducción temeraria del muchacho. Pero veinticinco años después, su madre aún sostiene que se trató de un atentado. Y muchos comparten sus sospechas: descreer de las conclusiones de la investigación judicial es algo usual en la Argentina.

Desde hace décadas, muchos jueces y fiscales argentinos son vistos como venales, cómplices del poder de turno. En particular aquellos que deben investigar casos sensibles —como las muertes del fiscal Alberto Nisman o del hijo de Menem— o actos groseros de corrupción que terminan impunes, con sus protagonistas libres, ante la mirada sorprendida, luego asqueada y, por último, resignada de la sociedad.…  Seguir leyendo »

A Greta Thunberg/Friday for Future float at Düsseldorf’s Rose Monday carnival parade in February. Photograph: BabiradPicture/REX/Shutterstock

EuropaUnión Europea,

A dead bird of prey lying in the grass near a windfarm is the stark image on the home page of a new German website. “Climate change – we have got a couple of questions” is the headline that greets visitors, but the questioners already seem to know the answers to their 16 questions. “Due to an alleged climate emergency, new laws are to be passed prescribing a new way of life for us, one that will have adverse environmental effects and could lead to the deindustrialisation of Germany”.

Klimafragen.org is the latest attempt to question the scientific and social consensus around the climate crisis in Germany.…  Seguir leyendo »